The pediatric polytrauma patient.

Trauma is 1 of the principal public health problems in the United States, and injuries in children cause more death and disability than all other causes combined. Multiple injury occurs in approximately 10% of all pediatric trauma patients admitted to the hospital, and an aggressive team approach toward treatment of these severely injured patients has improved outcome. The care of injured children has been advanced in every phase of treatment, from field contact to rehabilitation, and although efforts have been directed toward establishing databases, setting treatment protocols, and evaluating outcomes, prevention only has become a priority recently. Differences in death rates between countries suggest that mortality in the United States could be reduced dramatically by improving injury prevention and control. Although morbidity and mortality have been reduced with recent innovations in care of the child with multiple injuries, prevention must be a priority for the future.